In Theaters: ‘Contagion’ and ‘Warrior’ Take the Gloves Off

In Theaters: 'Contagion' and 'Warrior' Take the Gloves Off

Finally, FINALLY the Tom Hardy/Joel Edgerton MMA movie will come out to play at the box office, climbing into the ring with Stephen Soderbergh‘s hand sanitizer ad virus thriller “Contagion” aka “Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2.” We’ll see how the boxing brothers flick performs after their sneak peeks last Labor Day weekend, or if everyone is ready for some new material. Or you can just salivate over the reviews coming out of Venice and TIFF and count the days until the real fall season ramps up.

So after the ape virus infects everyone in San Francisco, Gwyneth gets it and then we have “Contagion.” JK, no but seriously this links up so well with “ROTPOTA,” right?! Starring Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Lawrence Fishburne, Jennifer Ehle, Jude Law and many more, Soderbergh‘s outbreak thriller will leave you reaching for the hand sanitizer instead of your loved one. Our review from Venice says, “the film is the kind of smart, grown-up entertainment that mostly doesn’t get made anymore—a firmly entertaining, commercial project made with impeccable craft,” and “it’s also got a good deal of substance going for it, and it lingers on the mind, and on the skin, for some time afterwards.” Rotten Tomatoes: 80% Metacritic: 69

Say goodbye to those gratuitously beefy billboards and one sheets folks, the “Warrior” marketing juggernaut comes to an end this weekend with the official opening of the film. I think I’m going to miss them the most of all. RIP. Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton smash each other’s pretty faces in (don’t get all hot and bothered at once!) for your entertainment in this MMA drama of two brothers facing off in the ring. Our review says while the film follows every sports movie cliche in the book, “god damn it, it works, and works like gangbusters.” Hot damn! Directed by Gavin O’Connor, who knows how to direct a muthafuckin’ sports movie (exhibit A: “Miracle.” WHUT). Need more Edgerton? Check out our conversation with the Edge about the project. RT: 84% MC: 72

The boarding school movie genre gets another notch on its lipstick case with “Tanner Hall” from the directing duo of Francesca Gregorini and Tatiana von Furstenberg, starring dragon-tattooed Rooney Mara. Unfortunately, Mara doesn’t get to show off her acting skills in this flick, as our review says, “the filmmakers are never able to travel deep into any one character; each one, like the film, is a superficial portrait,” and ultimately, “Buyer beware and stay far away.” RT: 7% MC: 38

“Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” is a documentary made from the footage shot by Swedish filmmakers investigating the Black Power movement of the U.S. in the late 60s, featuring interviews with Angela Davis and Stokely Carmichael. Our review says the film is “a cursory overview that flirts with some of the most important events and issues of the past century, but never really unpacks their legacy enough to inform their influence on political decorum – or, indeed, lack thereof—today.” RT: 80% MC: 71

Unlikely bad boy comedian Nick Swardson steps out to the front with “Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star,” after doing his duty in the trenches of Adam Sandler. This time he plays a young Midwestern boy who discovers his parents used to be porn stars, and decides to follow in their footsteps in spite of his distressingly small member. Heartwarming I tell you. No, we do not have a review for this movie, we don’t believe in cruelty against bloggers. RT: 0%

John Landis‘ corpse-snatching period comedy “Burke and Hare,” starring Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis and Isla Fisher gets its U.S. debut this weekend, after making the festival rounds. Check back for a review later this weekend! RT: 33% MC: 50

Also in theaters…

Orlando Bloom, Colin Firth, Amber Tamblyn, Ellen Burstyn, Patricia Clarkson and Andrew McCarthy star in “Main Street,” the story of a stranger changing the lives and destiny of a small Southern town. And clocking in at the 0% fresh on the Tomatometer. Ouch. RT: 0% MC:

“Shades of Blue” is over, but Lopez’s “World of Dance” continues as a big hit for NBC. As she winds down three years of both her drama series and her Vegas residency, here’s what’s next for the superstar.